1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conveyor system for carrying various kinds of bobbins connecting two or more fine spinning frames for producing a spinning bobbin wound with a specific kind of yarn to an automatic winder divided into at least two winding unit groups correspondingly to these fine spinning frames.
2. Prior Art
In this type of conveyor system, various kinds of bobbins are conveyed together from two Or more fine spinning frames; before each winding unit group a specific kind of spinning bobbin must be selected, being diverted to a delivery line for each winding unit group. As shown in FIG. 2a, 2b, 2c, therefore, a spinning bobbin 1 wound with a specific kind of yarn on a color bobbin 2 of specific color is inserted on a tray 3 provided with a specific mark, so that the yarn thus wound can be discriminated to be of the specific kind. Concretely, one of three slits 6A, 6B and 6C which are cut in different positions in a vertical direction is provided around a disk-shaped base 5 of a tray 3 carrying the specific mark; further, generally the whole body of the tray 3 is colored for example white, black and blue correspondingly to the positions of the slits 6A, 6B and 6C. The color bobbin 2 of the specific color is colored red, blue and green all over; the specific kind of a spinning bobbin is a spinning bobbin wound on the color bobbin of the specific color.
At the front of each winding unit group, a spinning bobbin of specific kind is selected and distributed in accordance with the specific mark of the tray 3. A tray selector 41 provided for this purpose will be explained with reference to FIG. 3. The tray selector 41 consists of three flappers 42 vertically arranged, a driving unit 43 operating on the basis of these flappers 42, and a gate 44 which is operated to switch by means of this driving unit 43. When some of the three flappers 42 is moved as illustrated, by a slit located in a specific position of the tray 3, a gate 44 will be switched to the position of a broken line 49 by the driving unit 43, thus distributing the tray 3 of the specific mark for example.
Next, an example of a conveyor line in conventional use for conveying various kinds of bobbins having the above-mentioned tray selector 41 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 is a layout showing one example of the conveyor system for various kinds of bobbins; FIG. 5 is a plan view of a major portion of the conveyor system; and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a winding unit.
In FIG. 4, there are set up winding unit groups, one for each fine spinning frame; when different kinds of yarns are produced at fine spinning frames SP1 to SP3, the yarn from the fine spinning frame SP1 is rewound by a winding unit group SC1; the yarn from the fine spinning frame SP2 is rewound by a winding unit group SC2; and the yarn from the fine spinning frame SP3 is rewound by a winding unit group SC3. F1 is a main feed line from each fine spinning frame; the winding unit groups SC1 to SC3 have delivery lines f1 to f3 branched off from the main feed line F1. An empty bobbin or a bobbin with remaining yarn returns from the winding unit groups SC1 to SC3 to the fine spinning frames SP1 to SP3 through a common return line R and branched return lines r1 to r3 for returning the bobbins to the fine spinning frames.
In one place of the main feed line F1 is provided a yarn-end finding device ACF for leading out the yarn end from the spinning bobbin 1. And in the positions of inlets 11 and 12 of the delivery lines f1 and f2 of each winding unit group of the main feed line f1 are arranged the tray selectors 41. In the meantime, to the return line R is connected a passage R1 through the selector 45, to supply a bobbin with remaining yarn thereon to the yarn-end finding device ACF. In addition, a minimum-yarn removing device ST is provided for removing extremely small yarn remaining on the bobbin. A reference numeral 46 refers to a sensor for sensing a bobbin with remaining yarn, and 47 denotes a sensor for sensing a bobbin with minimum yarn remaining thereon. Furthermore, the tray selector 41 is disposed in each spinning frame position on the return line R. The spinning bobbin 1 coming from each fine spinning frame is wound on the color bobbin 2 of a color which varies with a difference in yarn thickness, and is mounted on the tray 3 the mark of which differs with the kind of yarn, being grouped and transferred by each yarn kind, or randomly transferred regardless of the yarn kind to the main feed line F1.
The spinning bobbin that has been transferred in the direction of the arrow 40, with its yarn end being found out by the yarn-end finding device ACF and hanging down in the center hole of the color bobbin 2 as shown in FIG. 2, is transferred on to the main feed line F1. A spinning bobbin with its yarn end not found out is fed again from a feedback passage 39 to the yarn-end finding device ACF. The spinning bobbin with its yarn end found out is transferred toward an automatic winder W on the main feed line F1. As shown in FIG. 5, the tray 3 with the specific mark is selected by the tray selector 41. A spinning bobbin 1, for example, from the fine spinning frame SP1 is fed onto the delivery line f1 by turning the gate 44 from the position indicated by a full line to the position 49 indicated by a broken line. In a similar manner, the spinning bobbin 1 from the fine spinning frame SP2 is fed to the delivery line f2 by the tray selector 41 of the corresponding winding unit group SC2. In this manner the spinning bobbin is fed to the winding unit group corresponding to each fine spinning frame; within each winding unit group, the specific spinning bobbin is taken into a standby groove on a disk 53 from an inlet groove 52 of each winding unit 51 shown in FIG. 6, from which the spinning bobbin is fed to the winding position in the condition that it is mounted on the tray 3, then being rewound.
However, on the conveyor line for conveying various kinds of bobbins described above, the tray 3 with a specific mark is selected: the spinning bobbin 1 itself is not selected. Therefore, wrong combination of the tray 3 and the spinning bobbin 1 is likely to occur. Generally, a difference in the yarn count is not visually distinguishable; in this case, all the lot on the automatic winder will become defective. To prevent this, any mistake in bobbin kind is not allowed absolutely.
This type of conveyor system for various kinds of bobbins, therefore, requires checking up to the combination of the tray 3 and the spinning bobbin 1. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it has been proposed in prior art that color sensors 10A and 10B are installed in the main feed line F1 located at the front of each winding unit group to check whether the spinning bobbin wound on a specific color bobbin is inserted on the tray 3 carrying the specific mark. Also as shown in FIG. 7, either of the color sensors 10A and 10B is composed of a light projector 8 for projecting light, a light receiver 9 for receiving reflected light, and an electric circuit section (not illustrated) for color detection in accordance with a signal received from the light receiver. The color sensor 10A is mounted for sensing colors on the peripheral surface of the top end of the color bobbin 2, while the color sensor 10B, for sensing colors on the peripheral surface of the central projection of the tray 3. For example, a red color bobbin 2 should have been inserted on a white tray 3; a blue color ribbon 2, on a black tray 3; and a green color ribbon 2, on a blue tray 3. If the color combination of the tray 3 and the color bobbin 2 is wrong, the operation of the whole machine will be stopped to check for a cause of the wrong combination. The color sensors 10A and 10B are carried out during the transport of the tray 3 or during a pause.
In the conveyor system for carrying various kinds of bobbins described above, wrong combination of the tray and color bobbin can be checked after the discrimination of red, blue and green colors of the color bobbin by the color sensor 10A. However, since for example blue and green have common color components and the spinning bobbin inserted on the tray is being conveyed while rocking or stops aslant, it is not easy to discriminate red, blue and green by means of the color sensor 10A. Therefore, there have been proposed a method for dividing the hue components of each color by a luminance component which is a sum thereof, to remove waviness resulting from the rocking motion as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 1-185421, and a method for discriminating the hue components which are included in one color but not included in the other as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 1-192678. These methods, however, are not necessarily perfect; the prior-art conveyor system for various kinds of bobbins described above has such disadvantages that a specific color of the color bobbin is incorrectly discriminated, the whole machine is unnecessarily stopped, and its checks require much time.